[OVERVIEW]
Ferrothorn finds its role in doubles as a great, hard to take down pivot which that can also take strong resisted moves and recover the lost HP with its access to Leech Seed. The Grass/Steel typing Its Grass / Steel typing also renders Ferrothorn a huge threat and a win condition late game late-game cleaner (or whatever is more approprate; wincon generally doesn't work) with its high base power high-Base Power moves and its proficiency in doing chip damage thanks to it's chipping foes with its ability combined with Leech Seed, which also gives it recovery. (AP), (RC) especially when the Fire/Fighting damage dealers are out This is especially useful when Fire- and Fighting-type Pokemon have been eliminated, allowing it to check many common threats in the metagame such as the Tapus Tapu group, Steel-(AH)types barring Heatran, Psychic-type spam, Tyranitar, (AC) and rain teams in general. It's Its Grass typing also makes it a valuable check against rain and Electric-(AH)types, and sets setting it apart from other bulky steel types Steel-types such as Celesteela. Ferrothorn is also handy versus bulky offensive teams, as it absorbs most hits they dish out. Ferrothorn has somewhat of an offensive presence as well, (AC) thanks to a decent base 94 Attack stat and typing that hits common threats in the metagame like Tapu Fini, Kyurem-B, Tyranitar, and Tapu Lele. Its Grass typing also makes it a valuable check against rain teams and electric types Electric-types, giving and gives it benefits over other bulky Steel types. (AP) such as Celesteela (you could keep the celesteela example if you wanted to, but it's exactly how the last sentence ended) (remove line break) However, its typing makes it x4 4x weak to Fire, rendering it almost dead(remove space)weight when an opposing Fire-type Pokemon is out on field. Ferrothorn's base 20 Speed makes it one of the slowest Pokemon in the tier, which has drawbacks such as draining momentum, (RC) but good aspects too with high Gyro Ball Damage Base Power and Speed under Trick Room
[SET]
name: Tanky Pivot
move 1: Gyro Ball
move 2: Power Whip
move 3: Leech Seed
move 4: Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Iron Barbs
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 76 Atk / 32 Def / 148 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Gyro Ball is the main STAB attack, (AC) often boasting high Base Power due to Ferrothron's low Speed as it is often highly boosted in power due to the slowness of Ferrothorn, giving it decent damage against all fast foes that don't resist Steel. Power Whip is Ferrothorn's second STAB move that gets the 2HKO on Pokemon that it should or (unclear) hits super effectively like Milotic, (RC) and Tapu Fini. It's also used to hit Steel resisting pokemon, or slow ones Steel-resistant or slow Pokemon (examples) that don't mind Gyro Ball too much. Leech Seed offers chip damage and sustainability at the same time. Last but not least, Protect is an essential move in doubles for many reasons, (RC) likeshielding the Pokemon while its partner removes a threat for it, blocking a potential double targetting the opposition potentially double targeting it, (AC) and could also be used to scouting the opponent's foe's sets. It's particularly good on Ferrothorn too because if you manage to set seeds it manages to hit a foe with Leech Seed, the recovery it provides stacks with Leftovers, (AC) resulting in a lot more longevity.
Set Details
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Giving Ferrothorn 252 HP EVs grants it more health, (AC) which pairs well with its already high defenses. The 32 Defense EVs allow it to survive 2 60 Attack (is this a standard set? otherwise it's like speed creeping but with defenses) Salamence-Mega Double Edge Mega Salamence's Double-Edges with Leftovers recovery. 76 Attack EVs let it OHKO fast Tapu Lele variants even after being intimidated at -1, (AC) and the remaining points are dumped in Special Defense for more general bulk. They also stack recovery with Leech Seed, (RC) and increase Protect's effectiveness. Iron Barbs is used over Anticipation because of the punishment it delivers, while discouraging U-Turn it damages foes that make contact and discourages U-turn. It also breaks Focus Sash on Pokemon like Deoxys-A, (RC) and accumulates chip damage alongside Leech Seed, which is Ferrothorn's main way of handling or checking certain threats. 0 Speed IVs provide Ferrothorn with minimal Speed, as it boosts boosting the Base Power of Gyro Ball and permits enabling it to move faster under Trick Room. An Iapapa Berry may be used over Leftovers if instant recovery is valued more than the passive kind, along with the spread of 252 HP / 76 Atk / 104 Def / 76 SpD, (AC) which is tailored for the instant recovery to hit the mentioned benchmarks. (AP)
Usage Tips
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In addition to its good pivot potential, Ferrothorn is good at regaining that lost health with Leech Seed, as the opponent is likely to switch out their Pokemon to something that can hit Ferrothorn decently, giving you it chip damage, (RC) and recovery combined with Leftovers. Ferrothorn can also be a late game win condition late-game cleaner, since it's Ferrothorn's bulk makes it hard to take down without either neutral double targeting targetting, (RC) or super effective hits, and it can replenish its HP with seeds Leech Seed. This particular aspect highlights it's mentioned its aftorementioned pivoting capacity, as it can go in and out of on and off the field to take resisted hits without risking losing too much health. If you manage to take its counters out, it can passively win the battle with chip damage and Protect. Even when it isnt late game isn't late-game, Ferrothorn can still click use Leech Seed on a predicted switch on a resistant foe to get chip damage and the recovery it provides. It's also good to use Protect with Ferrothorn to get that another turn of Leech Seed recovery, but beware of losing too much momentum while doing so. However, still remain prudent of losing too much health this way, especially when Ferrothorn is your main check to specific threats on the opposing team, as you want it to remain healthy in order to be able to switch in or take it's their attacks efficiently. (AP) (what does it actually check? it's not really clear here)
Team Options
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Ferrothorn greatly improves a team's match up vs rain comps matchup against rain teams by resisting Kingdra and Swampert-Mega's Mega Swampert's rain-(AH)boosted STAB attacks, (AC) which is notable when teambuilding if you are rain weak to the archetype. (AP) Ferrothron appreciates teammates that can handle the fire types Fire-types it dislikes facing, such as Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, and Volcanion. Those Checks to these include Landorus-T for its ability to generally out speed with scarf and either Rockslide/Earthquake threats away, due to its Speed tier, outspeeding Fire-types when running a Choice Scarf and removing them with Earthquake or Rock Slide or a Dragon-(AH)type that resists Fire, such as Zyguard Zygarde. Those roles can be performed by Water-(AH)types as well, like Tapu Fini, Milotic, Araquanid, and Rotom-Wash etc as well, giving Ferrothorn a place in a Fire/Water/Grass Fire / Water / Grass core on a team provided you have a Fire-(AH)type. Lastly, Ferrothorn offers its own Fairy-type teammates a switch in from switch-in to Steel-(AH)type attacks. (the only fairy you've mentioned is fini, which is neutral to steel)
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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The Stealth Rock variant can be used when a team is mostly weak to Mega Charizard Y weak, (RC) or to disable sashes like Deoxys-A's break the Focus Sash of Pokemon such as Deoxys-A. Knock Off is a potential move to add if knocking off the opponent's removing a foe's item is prioritized. An alternative set featuring Curse and Misty Seed, (AC) with Tapu Fini as a teammate, (AC) (accounting that you have Tapu Fini as teammate) as the Special Defense boost increases its bulk on both physical and special sides, helping it take hits better, which can increase Ferrothorn's chances of becoming a late-(AH)game win condition for example, after fire types cleaner after Fire-types or strong special attackers have been dealt with, leaving it too bulky for the rest of their team to take down. Note that this is a bit harder to pull off, and Curse usually takes a valuable move slot moveslot, (AC) making it somewhat niche. Chople Berry may be used to unexpectedly live a hit survive a Fighting-type attack (give an example of a pokemon that uses one) and dish damage back or just set seeds Leech Seed to cripple the opponent foe. Thunder Wave isn't traditionally the best fourth move, but it can be considered as well for speed control, as its it's unexpected and can cripple a fast threat, (RC) but be careful since. (AP) However, (AC) it weakens your Ferrothorn's own Gyro Ball and it can be prevented by an opposing Tapu Fini's Misty Terrain
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire types**: Ferrothron doesn't really have much in its set to deal with fire types Fire-types such as Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, Volcarona, and Volcanion, (AC) as they OHKO it with their STAB moves. Can also be a momentum drainer if a fire type is switched in against it, as a switch becomes rather needed unless the partner is able to do something about it. Fire-types can also drain momentum, as they almost awlays force a switch unless Ferrothorn's partner can check them.
**Fighting types**: Fighting-types (the title isn't part of the sentence; tehse also aren't bolded; give a fighting-type example here too) or Fighting-type coverage moves, (AC) such as Landorus-T and Deoxys-A's Superpower, (AC) can cause heavy damage to Ferrothorn, even if they are rare to come by, such as Superpower Landorus-Therian and Deoxys-A.
**Steel-types**: other than clicking Aside from using Leech Seed, Ferrothorn doesn't dent most steel types it faces Steel-types such as Metagross-Mega or Mega Metagross and Celesteela, (AC) which that can even carry Flamethrower to beat Ferrothorn. (AP)
**Substitute**: Considering it blocks seeds and the opponent is generally faster, meaning they can set it up quick, it blocks Ferrothron's main move and source of sustain. This is even worst when the pokemon that subbed resists both Stabs like Aegislash, Celesteela Substitute, generally used by faster Pokemon, blocks Leech Seed; this stops Ferrothorn from regaining HP. Pokemon that resist both of Ferothorn's STAB moves, such as Aegislash and Celesteela, are key threats to it.
**Intimidate** Intimidate from Salamence and Landorus-T cuts Ferrothorn's Attack, making it not do much on the field aside from sapping HP at each turns end. Notable examples would be Salamence, Landorus-Therian meaning Ferrothorn loses its offensive presence and can only chip down foes with Leech Seed.